1. The special-teams problems were a combination of lack of tactics and lack of attention to personnel. Simple as that. This was to be a hallmark of Bill Parcells’ teams, too. A 3-4 defense allows you to keep extra linebackers for special teams. But who was kept? Who are their special-teams stars? Instead, a reserve like linebacker Quentin Moses doesn’t play special teams while a relative newcomer like Bobby Carpenter is all over them. How’d Carpenter do? Let's break down the breakdowns:

* On Brandon Tate’s 103-yard kickoff return to start the second half, he started left and cut across to a seam on the right side. A few Dolphins were sucked out of their lanes when he started on the left side. The most obvious as he cut back was Carpenter. He just gave up his lane and Tate a clear path to accelerate through.

* On the blocked punt, Patrick Chung ran a stunt where he started outside and crossed inside behind a teammate. Carpenter followed the Patriot who stunted to the outside, Jermaine Cunningham, leaving a gap for Chung, who looped behind Cunningham to the inside.

* On the blocked field goal, Chung simply shot a gap on the left side of the Dolphins line between Joe Berger (not playing center in the field-goal alignment) and Lydon Murtha. Clear and simple.

Special-teams coach John Bonamego gets the criticism. And deserves it. This is the big leagues. But this game was years in the making and you have to include how this team just hasn’t kept guys who are professional special-teams players.

2. The Patriots offense scored two field goals in the first half. Randy Moss was held without a catch in the game. Tom Brady led one touchdown drive of more than 15 yards* (corrected: It was a 78-yard drive to make it 27-14). And the Dolphins got crushed.

3. ESPN’s Steve Young said after the game the Dolphins are asking Chad Henne to do too much and is “Robo-quarterback.” Young was wrong if he meant the Dolphins’ leaned on Henne too heavily to attack a weak New England secondary. In the first half, the Dolphins ran 10 times for 50 yards while Henne completed 11 of 15 passes for 124 yards and two interceptions. That’s not an awful balance. Henne had to be asked to carry the load. This is the NFL, after all. But as for “Robo-quarterback,” you could see what Young meant. And you know how coaches talk about a quarterback able to, “make all the throws?” Henne can’t make them all. The first interception was exactly the kind of touch pass over the middle he has trouble doing. He had to get the ball up and down in the seam between zones. Henne tried to rifle the ball and got it intercepted.

4. A 2-2 start isn’t the end of the season. It’s where I had them en route to predicting a 10-6 season. You need to say that after a debacle like Monday night. The real trouble for tie-breaking purposes is the Dolphins are 1-2 in the AFC East behind the Jets (3-0) and Patriots (2-1).

5. Cameron Wake was a force on Monday. He had a sack and three quarterback hits. He caused a holding penalty on Patriot tackle Matt Light and had a second that the referee strangely picked up. Brady was sacked twice all year entering Monday. The Dolphins sacked him three times in 24 attempts.

6. The Dolphins set out to attack Patrick Chung and it worked early. Davone Bess beat Chung often and caught his 19-yard touchdown to give the Dolphins a 7-0 lead. But Chung was the name of the night. It wasn’t just his special-teams heroics but the 51-yard interception returned a touchdown near the end.

7. You could see the Patriots' game plan was to run the ball more than usual and tire out a Dolphins defensive line with five healthy players. Some of the linemen got tired in the first half, but you never got a full idea of how that would've worked since the second-half was so bizarre.

8. What were they thinking running the Wildcat on third-and-6 with Chad Henne tearing it up on the first drive? The Dolphins’ one-dimensional Wildcat has become a predictable liability. It’s been run 17 times, averaging 1.6 yards a carry.

9. Bill Belichick, no dummy, understood the Pats had a special-teams advantage and so gave them a motivational talk on Monday morning. According to the Boston Herald: "Bill Belichick stood in front of the Patriots [team stats] team yesterday morning and delivered a very serious message to his players. No one wants you. You couldn’t play for any other team. You are losers.

"You are the underdogs, according to every media outlet, and you should be.

"It was classic Belichick, delivering a barb for every player right down to kicker Stephen Gostkowski. He told them it it had been “just OK” for three weeks, but in Sun Life Stadium, “we (will) explode.”

Belichick was lke the rest of us: He couldn't remember a game like that. "It just doesn't happen very often in the NFL,'' he said.

10. Tale of Monday: The Dolphins picked up Carpenter, who was cut by St. Louis, because this regime knew him from Dallas. He isn't producing. The Patriots, meanwhile, picked up former Dolphin linebacker Rob Ninkovich (played in four games in 2007, one game in 2008) and he has two interceptions and a sack. It always gets back to personnel in the NFL. Always.

Comments

Bonemego needs to be replaced today. After an epic breakdown (in fact historical breakdown) the buck stops at the special teams coach. Go get someone who has some new ideas who is working under a special teams coach who has moxie somewhere in the NFL-pay them what needs to be paid and go get them like YESTERDAY. This has been a problem since Westoff was canned and has never been fixed. Dave-you didn't call out Dan Henning like he deserved to be. Granted Henne made some ill advised throws but Hennings play calling is atrocious. The running play on 3rd down and 2 on one particular series was brutal. Whay not one long ball try to either Wallace or Marshall? Against a very average secondary. Henning needs to be replaced with a another play caller who can use all of Miami's stengths(David Lee anybody??)and the Wildcat needs to be taken out in an open field and shot dead. ENOUGH!!

I think with that blocked FG and resulting TD, the countdown on the Sparano era has begun. With the schedule ahead, and the current level of play, another losing season is likely. So instead of anticipating the playoffs next year, all of the talk will be about a coach fighting just to keep his job. Meanwhile, the Jets have become contenders in just 2 seasons. When will the Dophins improve? I don't care about celebreties and orange carpets, I just want to pay to see a winning team for once.

Wow!!! Where do I start? How about coaches, we all know Boneheadamigo needs to be replaced. We haven't seen missed assignments and poor alignments on special teams since pee wee league. Time to go. How about Sparano? Soon we'll be hearing the grading system on this player and that, how many reps this player was aloud to have or not. We need a coach, not a STATISTICIAN. Why take Run Ricky Run out when he was getting in his groove. Everyone knows the more he plays the better he gets....Except Sparano!!!!!!!!!!What about the long ball, if it's going to be intercepted we'll probably not give up a touchdown or great field position.......On the up side great game Bess and Ricky..........Pull it to frickin gether!!!!!!!!!!!

LET FACE IT NOW UNTIL PROVEN OTHER WISE...WE ARE AN 8-8 FOOTBALL TEAM (.500). WHY DOES THIS BUM OF ST COACH STILL HAVE A JOB. HE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH 11 PLAYERS THAT MISSED EVERY ASIGNMENT. WAIVER WIRE AND FREE AGENTS CAN DO NO WORSE AT THIS POINT. THE WILDCAT WANT TO WILDCRAP AND SHOULD BE WILDSCRAPPED. TOO MUCH OF A DRIVE KILLER. PLEASE HENNIG GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOU ASS AND CALL A GOOD GAME. WE START TO RUN AND THEN GO PASS HAPPY. WTF??? MY DEAD GRANDMA CAN CALL PLAYS BETTER THAN THAT. WHAT A SHAME FOR OUR TEAM AND FANS. 2 HOME DIVISION LOSSES. ONCE AGAIN W...T...F??????

This game made me physically ill. I am getting sick and tired of this Dolphins team "almost being there" If our offense is great(ala Marino) then we have no running (LOL!! Kareem abdul Jabar) game to help him. Then we get this killer defense (Zach and Jason) then we get no QB (Fiedler, AJ Feeley). Then we get Ricky and Ronnie but then we had no Oline, or QB or receivers.
Now we have Ricky and Ronnie (aging), a great defense (supposedly) An elite WR(who isn't utilized because we dont have a QB to get him the ball). Now our glaring weakness is our ST play. WTF!!!!!!

Our Weakness is our Coaching staff. I just don't know where to go from here. but this was an absolute embarrasment. I cannot believe I stayed up late to watch this S!@#T.

Replace Henne Now. Penny needs to be in there. Henne may need another season to watch and learn.

Solution:
1. Play starters on special teams
2. Commit to the run, and the passing game will open

Conclusion:
The team has shorts spurts of a great team , they need consistancy on running the ball, the passing game is there, defense is deflated when special teams F**** up. Leave Henne in, just change your play calling.

Dolphins won't have a winning season until at least 2013. Think about it: this year is toast. The Patsies were supposed to be our "easy" game compared to what's coming up. By December, this team will be 2-10.

Sparano and Henne will get another year, so 2011 is shot. In 2012, we'll have a new coach, with a new system and be developing a new quarterback, so that season will be another wash. So by 2013, maybe we'll have semi-decent shot at a winning record.

It's too bad. I remember when the Dolphins terrified their opponents on Monday Night Football in the 70's and 80's. They always played better on the big stage. Now it seems like every time the Fins have a chance to prove themselves before a national audience, they suffer an embarrassing breakdown.

I'm guessing Green-Ellis' TD isn't counted or was it Woodheads TD that wasn't counted? Pretty sure a rushing TD & a Passing TD amounts to 12 points.
So you got the distance wrong and the amount of points wrong, besides that good job.

The offensive cordinator calling the plays needs to stop trying to fool the opposition or out think them; We have 3 to 4 of the most talented running backs behind one of the biggest, strongest, and talented offensive line in the league; "POUND THE ROCK - POUND THE ROCK - POUND THE ROCK TO SET UP THE PASS." "THE WILD CAT IS DEAD LET IT GO."

The obvious, special teams need to hit the reset button NOW. For this team there may not be a game next weekend, but they should not have a bye week on the practice field.

The Pats showed Ireland, Tuna, and Sporano that they don't know jack about personnel. The team is in its third year under these guys, and they make as many bad decisions as good ones, which leads to a .500 team. Jason Taylor is a Jet, while Channing Crowder is a Dolphin. What? For 3 years they've been "churning" the roster, and for that the team has ascended from dismal to mediocre. Carpenter is an easy scapegoat, and he needs to be cut, but the problem runs deeper. Inexplicable personnel decisions have been part of this triumvirate since they arrived, inexplicable play calling, and too often a team that looks unprepared for the moment at hand.

I actually feel badly for Sporano. I think he gets the brunt of bad decisions made by others.

For all the discussion of the implosion on special teams and defense last night, the O-line played another underwhelming game too. The Phins don't go down the field because they can't protect Henne long enough to allow the plays to develop.

Nice games though for Bess, Fasano, V. Davis, and Ricky.

Why doesn't Thigpen run the Wildcat so that there is at least the threat of a pass?

Mortenson said on ESPN that by mid-season we'll see Penny in, as a transition to Thigpen, who he stated "has some in the organization seeing as a Tony Romo type skill set QB", or something to that effect.
So where does this leave us?
....horrible special teams, an Offensive Coordinator that looks right past two of the most productive RB's in the league (psst...Ronnie can catch the ball out of the backfield also Dan!!!!)....a QB who is robotic, locks on his receivers, and can't throw a touch pass, and won't be worth a 4th round pick in trade as teams KNOW we're moving away from him as a starter....a HC that is in over his head vs. the othet top flight head coaches out there....no one on defense that can tackle a RB outside of our interior D-Line...
Our ONLY bright spots so far are...Vontae, Dansby, Ronnie, Ricky (when he hoplds on to the ball) Jake Long and a few more OL's, and Brandon (Hartline has a drop a game), and the NT's and DL's....and our MVP...
Cameron Wake

They finally fired Bonamego!!!
Not sure if Rizzi is the answer, as he is tight with Sparano for years. What will he do differently? He'll get 12 games to show his promise I guess....
Countdown on Henning is next...and is Henne our future? If not, stick Penny in to see if we can get to the playoffs, and if not, put Thigpen in to see if HE is the answer!!!

I think this eventually will be Nolan's team. His squad played awesome and held the Patriots to 13 points of which 7 were off a short field on the block punt. This is a unit that is also short of 4 defensive stawarts in Merling, McDaniel, Crowder, and Odrick.

Henning is decrepit...his play calling mal-functioning all over the place

Sparano- Is a good guy ...but seems to be drowning in the big league job... the test is can he motivate and prepare this fins into the gauntlet of games that remain

Henne- is not our QB of the future...a laser arm without touch can only get you so far.

the dolphins have already fished with henne, now they need to cut bait...henne does not have it, and he never will....why waste more time with him? and the run defense? danny woodhead, are you kidding me? also, henning needs to be shown the door as the play calling for the 1st 4 games has been suspect at best...and i'm not so sure cutting jake grove was the answer as well...

Greetings from wet & cold Connecticut: My fellow Dol-Fans, Feed the Wolf? the wolf starved to death last night! Mr. Ross please don't ever say that Miami will be in the Super Bowl this year, Do you know how embarasing that is. I believe, Dan Henning should be fired also, we are down by 2 touchdowns and you have Henne throw 5yard- 10yard out passes? I mean COME ON, try going long once in a while. I used to like Sparano(being from Conn) but I don't think he is Head Coach material, Parcells did this Team dirty, he left 3day's before the season started, The handwriting is on the wall folks. rebuilding time again!!!!!!!!

Dolphins were really bad last night.
Did anyone watch 'Castle"? Great story line last night.
I wish ESPN show more cheerleaders. Jumping up and down, kicking their legs up in the air, bending over for the camera.
There were some really big Dolphin goof balls with their face painted in the stands. If I was their employer and saw them on national TV, I would ask them not to show up to work on Tuesday. They look like they would do harm to others after that game.

We have a very talented team, now we have some injuries on defense, remember we still have AJ Edds in IR as well as Will Allen.
But I do think Ross should go after Bill Cowher, we need a real coach with vision, experience,knowledge and COJONES.

How about Sparano? Soon we'll be hearing the grading system on this player and that, how many reps this player was aloud to have or not. We need a coach, not a STATISTICIAN. Why take Run Ricky Run out when he was getting in his groove. Everyone knows the more he plays the better he gets....Except Sparano!!!!!!!!!!What about the long ball, if it's going to be intercepted we'll probably not give up a touchdown or great field position.......On the up side great game Bess and Ricky..........Pull it to frickin gether!!!!!!!!!!!

Big Al:
My sentiments exactly. Sparano worries about play counts too much. These players make a lot of money, Play the stud! On Ricky: HE ALWAYS PLAYS BETTER AS THE GAME GOES ON AND YOU GIVE HIM THE BALL!! I noticed this since the Wanny days, but I'm sure it has been the case since Ricky's High School career. Reason is, because not only is he a big, strong runner, but he's real quick and he has a nose for the hole. (IMO, much better nose for the hole than Ronnie.) The LB's have to keep cutting and they get tired by the 3rd and 4th quarter. Would someone please print this info', stick it in an overnight envelope and mail it to Henning in the coaches box at the Green Bay game!!!!!!! Our F...ing OC just doesn't get it!

Dolphins were really bad last night.
Did anyone watch 'Castle"? Great story line last night.
I wish ESPN show more cheerleaders. Jumping up and down, kicking their legs up in the air, bending over for the camera.
There were some really big Dolphin goof balls with their face painted in the stands. If I was their employer and saw them on national TV, I would ask them not to show up to work on Tuesday. They look like they would do harm to others after that game.

Bears Talk: Hahahahahahahaahahaaha! I agree. More cheerleaders' asses and less goofballs in the stands! Hahahahahahahahahah!

Its fun watching the New England "Dolphins" come back and stick it to Miami year in and year out. Larry Izzo, Sammy Morris, Junior Seau, Wes Welker, now Rob Ninkovich. Just shows a deplorable lack of talent evaluation and lack of ability to put "average" players in positions to just do their job and thrive. Danny Woodhead anyone? This is has been an issue from Wanny, Saban, Cameron, now Sparano. Saban looks like the best coach the Dolphins have had, but he was too egotistical to admit mistakes and too cowardly to suffer through mediocrity for a while before seeing results.

Almost forgot Heath Evans. Saban cuts him midseason, then Belichick picks him up the same week and is their starting running back and gashes the Dolphins. Personnel is important, but coaching and preparation is not underrated in the NFL.

The biggest problem by far which you failed to mention is that Henne "STARES DOWN HIS RECEIVER". He has no ability to look around to throw off the defense on who he is throwing to. Belichick picked up on this and hence why the easy interceptions. Henne not only stares down his main go-to guy, but he inable to throw to his secondary or third receiver. How many times do you see guys totally open that he never throws to? Not staring down the receiver is one of the basic fundamentals of quarterbacking. Cannot believe we have a guy at starting at QB that is more incapable in that regard than many college or even HS quarterbacks for that matter. It is going to be a very long and ugly seson if the Dolphins continue with Henne. Cannot believe that clown of an owner, Stephen Ross, said Henne has more potential than Marino. What an insult to Dan!

Two questions: It's 3rd and 6 and the Dolphins are moving. Sparano hears the wildsplat called through his earphones. If he's not detached from reality, he knows it's as bad a call as the entire Dolfan World does...and he's seen it consistently kill drives since the season started. When does he step up like the head coach he's supposed to be and say "NO MAS"? When does he say to Dan Henning, "scratch that, run the play action and throw for the first down"?

Ninkovich is evidence of some questioable calls (er, consultations) by Parcels. Having not produced a champion since 91 SuperBowl, he has since he has quit each of his coaching stops while delivering mediocre results. Which, come to think of it, is what is being delivered on the field with the Dolphins. Some of the credit for the 11-5 season should go to Pennington for on-field decision making and perhaps contributions to play-calling. Anyway, ignoring ST is like 'buying the groceries' but not putting them in the fridge to let them spoil. The fish is rotting from the head down.

Henne hasn't got it and HAS to go.He simply isn't ready and may never be.The score is ALWAYS the bottom line,I don't care how many yards he throws.If you don't end up putting points on the board,it's ALL for naught. His first two interceptions were game -killers.He locks onto his receivers early ,telegraphing intent to defensive backs and seems to have no confidence throwing down field.Before THIS season slips away like last year,(and with Henne it will)BRING IN PENNINGTON!Then bring in some pee-wee league coach to take over special teams.They are simply THE WORST!If this year is like last year or worse, help Sparano's in his diet...let him lose the team.

Yesterday, I felt obliged as a supportive dolfan, to keep watching and rooting for my team even though the time came when there was no hope. This same feeling; brings me to post this comment, as a way to let my frustration find a way to fulfill a purpose. No matter if it doesn't.

I've observed; how besides trading Tedd Ginn & addressing our biggest needs prior to the beginning of the season: A play making WR & a top ILB. Most of the other decisions, personel wise, have not been adequate.
Some examples:
+ Cutting Erik Walden (sacapegoat for the blocked punt in Jets game) although being one of the best Special Team performers which we lack.
+ Signning LB Bob Carpenter, unsucsessfull in 4 seassons, as the player chosen to fill our lack of depth on ILB or (was it just to give him another chance and prove someone right)or maybe it's because of my unprofessional eyesight that I don't see enough playing skills. To me he seems too slow. I've seen him many times come in just too late. Can he change that?? If not, you must change him.
+ Still regret that they let go players like Jason Taylor/Matt Roth, (Both DE having nice seassons) & Greg Camarillo.
+ Why is it, that they keep a continuous preference towards Ex Dallas players, which bear doubtful possibilities of success?? ( I think the trifecta's work, the first year, took what was available and really worth with no sweat)
+ Why didn´t they try harder to find a backup for Soliai (or trade for a starter if they thought he wasn't a starter) or even trying out rookies instead of moving the top pro-bowl quality DE, we have!! to fill in at NT ?? Thank GOD, we're getting him back to that position.
+ Why didn´t we address in time the 2nd TE need?
+ Has Chad Henne's confidence issues (Lack of/Excess of) or Still Rookie mishaps, been addressed propperly to avoid dangerous frustration.
+ Finally why wait so long (since last season) to change an underachieving Special teams coach?

I think We're lucky to be 2-2, (Sorry guys, but I think the Vike's win was on Favre's tab), also that next week we're Bye & that there are still 12 games to go.

STOP REACTING AND BE IN CONTROL. ST's is taken care of. A guy got fired over it. ST's wasn't mentally prepared. They lacked focus. ST's is not rocket science. Now don't spend a week on special teams and drop the ball in other preparation.

The most compelling thing that no one is saying is that this team got arrogant, lost the chip on their shoulder, and just isn't playing hard.

About 80% if this team's personel is the same as last year. We didn't need to reinvent ourselves. We had deficiencies on D. Got Nolan who made some adjustment, got Dansby who is everything we hoped, Vontae is becoming elite, Wake is proving himself. So I'm convinced we're not going to give up a ton of big plays like we did last year. We had deficiencies making clutch catches. I'm convinced Marshall is everything we hoped for, Bess is getting even better, and Hartline is a solid #2.

So why aren't we calling the same plays a last year? Keeping the same balance? And, playing with the same motor? Just play the same football as last year and everything gets taken up a notch because of the improved personel.

Henne needs to work harder too.

Like I said, they got arrogant. And got smacked in the mouth 2 weeks in a row!

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About the author

DAVE HYDE finished second in 2009 in voting for the nation’s top sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors. It was the third time in four years he has finished second in the country in APSE voting for either column or sports feature writing. He has placed 13 times in the Top 10 of APSE writing categories in his career, including a first for investigative work. His writing has been featured in the “Best American Sports Writing” anthology and he has authored “Still Perfect: The Untold Story of the 1972 Miami Dolphins” and "1968: The Year That Saved Ohio State Football.” He worked for Miami Herald before coming to the Sun Sentinel in 1990.